About Our Fabrics

1. Are your fabrics certified?

Hemp is, by its very nature, an organic crop. For this reason, hemp farmers have for long not felt the need to get it certified. However, the European market is pushing for organic labeling for hemp yarn. At present, a handful of the larger hemp farms have begun the certification process and have obtained an organic label. Alongside these industrial plantations, however, there are a large number of small scale, subsistence farmers in China who grow hemp traditionally alongside a diversity of crops (maize, potatoes, mulberries, etc.) in a rotation system. These farms have neither the administrative capacity nor the resources to begin the complicated and expensive certification process. A sizeable proportion of our hemp is sourced from exactly these types of farms. For these farmers, hemp is a convenient cash crop as it can be stored and sold when needed or when the price is good. While the market is pushing us for an organic label on our hemp, we do not wish to deprive these small farmers of part of their income. In future we may therefore offer a choice between labelled and unlabelled hemp, knowing full well that in fact both are cultivated organically.

Bamboo yarn is in fact a man-made fibre as it is manufactured according to a process similar to Tencel ®, modal and viscose and as such cannot be classified as organic. Our bamboo yarns carry an oeko-tex label and their processing has become increasingly environmentally friendly, representing more closely the closed cycle production methods of Tencel ® than those of viscose. So-called natural bamboo yarns are a recent innovation. They are mainly long fibre yarns used for sturdy canvas. Natural bamboo has a similar lustre to artificially processed bamboo but it does not have the same softness and would therefore not be suitable for the same applications as bamboo is currently used (such as towels, socks, underwear, etc.).

Our hemp fabrics are milled in China. Working with a Chinese mill to develop our hemp fabrics has several advantages. While the production of hemp textiles has all but disappeared in Europe, the Chinese have maintained the superior knowledge required for processing such ancient fibres as hemp.

Our organic cotton is grown, spun and knitted in Turkey, the leading authority on high-quality organic production. Our mill attaches great importance to both environmental and social aspects of production.

The organic cotton content of our hemp blends is also produced in Turkey. Though there is some Chinese organic cotton available, it is currently of inferior quality. Because there is a lot more waste when carded, using Chinese organic cotton would also be three times as expensive.

We are currently exploring the possibility of offering African fair-trade organic cotton through our mill in Turkey.

We carry out regular on-site inspections of all production facilities in person and closely follow the entire chain from raw materials to finished product. We are serious about fostering both socially and environmentally responsible production and are proactive in ensuring all actors in the chain receive fair and equal treatment.

On a full roll, it is indeed likely you will encounter some minor faults (a hole, a broken yarn, a crease, a mark). These imperfections are considered acceptable and do not prevent you from using the fabric by working around the imperfection when cutting out your patterns. If however, you feel that there are an excessive number of holes in your role, please inform us (and send photos if possible). Please note that certain fabrics are more prone to imperfections such as knitted velvet or ribbing. In knitted fabrics, you will also come across 2 large holes which are made deliberately for the purposes of quality control, mainly to check the weight of the fabric.

If you purchase ‘greige’ or unbleached fabrics please bear in mind that these are sold straight off the loom. They undergo no quality control and are simply folded and put into a bag. They are therefore less presentable and not recommended for retail purposes.

In the textile industry, garments are steam shrunk piece by piece as this guarantees the best results. Pre-shrinking whole rolls of fabric is not an easy thing to do. The majority of our fabrics are sold ‘natural’ or ‘half-bleach’ meaning they have been washed with a light oxygen bleach and have undergone no further treatment. We therefore indicate the expected shrinkage. Please consult the care instructions below for more information.

In the textile industry, fabrics are not normally pre-shrunk before being turned into garments. Garments are steam shrunk piece by piece as this guarantees the best results. Pre-shrinking whole rolls of natural fabric is therefore not an easy thing to do. The majority of our fabrics are sold ‘natural’ or ‘half-bleach’ meaning they have been washed with a light oxygen bleach and have undergone no further treatment. We therefore indicate the expected shrinkage with each fabric.

With this in mind it is advisable to pre-shrink your fabrics before confection. This can be achieved simply by pre-washing the fabric on hot and subsequently tumble drying it on hot. The final amount of shrinkage depends on several factors, such as the amount of fabric washed and dried at once. Smaller pieces tend to shrink more. Commercial dryers reach higher temperatures and will thus cause the fabric to shrink more. The shrinkage indicated for each fabric type is therefore only indicative.

We are constantly on the lookout for ways to achieve better shrinkage results. Several fabrics are indicated as having shrinkage levels less than 5%. These fabrics can be used straight away provided you take into account the minimal shrinkage to be expected in your pattern. We advise that you run a few tests.

Please note that hemp needs to be washed at least 4 times before it attains its maximum absorption levels. In other words, don’t judge a hemp nappy by its first use! You’ll find that it gradually becomes more absorbent after a few washes.

You have a choice between treatment in Belgium or at the mill (in China or Turkey). The dye houses we employ all have ISO9001 certification and observe oeko-tex standards. We can therefore guarantee that the highest ecological and quality standards are observed during the entire treatment process.

For dyeing, we can match any colour on the basis of your sample. Alternatively, you can forward us your Pantone® TC reference number. A Pantone ® colour book for textiles is available for consultation at our offices.

For all these services, minimum quantities apply as the dye house works with a flat fee per dye bath. To dye knits in Belgium for example, the minimum per colour is 60kg while in China it is 100kg. Nevertheless the higher minimum in China is off-set by the lower price per kg.

To help you select the correct treatment and give you a price indication or quote, don’t hesitate to contact us.

In the industry, knitted fabrics are sold by weight and woven fabrics are sold by length. For knitted fabrics you pay the weight of your roll. Only smaller quantities of knits are sold per meter.

Le Chanvrier strives to generate awareness amongst professionals in the textile business about the ecological and other advantages of hemp and alternative eco-fibres. We therefore make samples available at low cost or even no cost, on the condition that you supply us with your business registration details. We only supply fabrics (and samples) to professionals.

Sample cards with fabric details of all our fabrics are available in natural colours. They made for us by a local sheltered workshop. A maximum of 5 sample cards are shipped free of charge. Additional cards are charged at €0.40 plus postage costs.

In order to test our fabrics, we can also provide you with larger samples. You can order yardage from all our in-stock fabrics before committing to a larger order. These large samples are payable.

In addition to our standard collection, we also maintain a small ‘fabric library’ of hemp fabrics to give customers an idea of the possibilities. Samples of these fabrics can also be provided under the same conditions as above. For sample shipping straight from the mill, courier costs apply. In any case, do not hesitate to contact us, even if the fabric you are looking for does not appear on this site.

Our respect for the environment extends to the nature of the dyes used, which are all certified oeko-tex 100.

The majority of our sales are of ‘natural' fabrics. Please be aware, however, that ‘natural’ does not necessarily mean untreated.

Greige fabrics are untreated. They undergo no washing, dying or quality control. Greige knits, for example, are simply folded into a bag rather than steamed on a roll.

Some fabrics have been washed in a small amount of oxygen bleach to make them presentable, which is what they call 'half-bleach' in the industry. Most natural hemp knits are half-bleach.

Natural, washed fabrics, are washed and pre-shrunk without any bleach so the original colour of the fabric is retained. Hemp canvas, for example, retains its rustic look with tiny specks of fibre more visible. Please be aware that undyed fabrics will get lighter after repeated washes and that the exact colour may differ from batch to batch.

Some fabrics with a ‘natural’ colour are in fact dyed. Some of our bamboo fabrics e.g. have been dyed in natural colours because untreated bamboo yarn turns grey very quickly.

There are two types of bamboo yarn: artificial bamboo and the newly developed natural bamboo. Artificial bamboo is made from the pulp of the bamboo stems in the same manner as Tencel ®, modal or viscose (viscose is basically a generic term for fibres extracted from cellulose). Rayon, the first man-made fibre is made from wood pulp. This is essentially a chemical process which nevertheless creates numerous possibilities for spinning yarn from renewable (non petroleum-based) resources. Although the bamboo plant is a highly renewable crop and its cultivation extremely environmentally friendly, the use of chemical processing does have an impact on the ecological character of this fabric. Nevertheless, artificial bamboo is much more ecological than viscose and is, as a consequence, ISO 14001 certified, having met the relevant requirements of the "environmental management" standard.

Natural bamboo, on the other hand, is a wholely new fibre still in the development stage. Its production resembles the production of hemp yarn where the stems are combed. Although it retains all the other unique properties of the bamboo fibre, natural bamboo yarn does not have the same silky softness of artificial bamboo making it less suitable for knits but more for wovens.

99% of the bamboo fabrics on the market are derived from artificial bamboo yarn. The new natural bamboo remains relatively rare and expensive and, as a result of its texture and feel, is very different. It will no doubt take some time for it to find its rightful place in the market. We will continue to follow the developments of this fabric with a view to supplying it in the near future.

Our regular stock fabrics in natural are not PFD (prepared for dyeing), which means they may still contain traces of softener which can affect the absorption of dyes. However, we do offer the possibility of having your fabric custom dyed. Please enquire about the various alternatives and charges.

Be aware that soy is not a cellulose but a protein-based fibre like wool so you will need to use cold water dyestuff adapted for wool or silk.

13. Can you assist with the production of my collection?

Yes! Although full package services are not our core business, we are happy to help manage the production of smaller collections or put you in contact with a suitable garment manufacturer. We can propose different solutions depending on the volume and your needs. We have partner mills in China and Turkey with confection departments. Contact us for references and/or examples. A report on the confection department in China is also available on request.

We also maintain contacts with workshops in Belgium with a community development focus. We are actively seeking similar initiatives in other countries and invite managers to contact us.

In addition, we maintain contacts with workshops in Belgium with a community development focus. We are actively seeking similar initiatives in other countries and invite managers to contact us.

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Hemp loves being washed. It will withstand high washing and drying temperatures. Hemp is a very sturdy and absorbent fibre. However, this can also cause your fabric to become hard in hard water areas as is the case with other absorbent fabrics such as terry towelling. After extended use, however, this problem will diminish as the hemp fibres gradually soften.

In order to solve the problem of hard water, you may want to consider adding a de-scaling agent to your washing powder. We do not recommend using fabric softeners as they lay a film around the fibres, reducing their superior absorption and breathing qualities. Moreover, fabric softeners are known to cause allergic reactions, particularly with younger children.

Even though we do not recommend making extensive use of clothes dryers for environmental reasons, just 10 min. in the tumble dryer before drying on the line will solve the problem of hard fabrics. Alternatively, rubbing sections of the hard fabric against each other after taking it off the line is an inexpensive but very effective trick.

Remember that, with reasonable care, hemp fabrics will outlast any other fibre. They are an economical alternative to cotton because of their superior life span. It is often said that hemp does not wear out but wears in.

Compared with hemp, bamboo is a somewhat weaker fibre, comparable to cotton in terms of durability. The manufacturer recommends washing on 40 to 60°C max. Bamboo dries a bit quicker and remains much softer than hemp so it does not really need to be tumble dried. If you want to tumble dry it, we would recommend it on a moderate setting as with ironing.

Soy makes a wonderful fibre with many beneficial properties but unfortunately it does not like high temperatures so washing it on 30° to 40°C is our recommended maximum, even though soy is by no means as fragile as wool or silk. It can be tumble dried or ironed on a low setting.